The United Arab Emirates (UAE) took another determined step as the first Gulf country to shift its work week to Monday through Friday beginning 1 January 2022. Based on the guidelines announced on 7 December 2021, all UAE Federal government departments will transition to a Monday to Friday work week. From Monday to Thursday, the public sector working hours will be from 7:30am-3:30pm, however, on Friday, the work hours will end at 12:00pm. The Dubai government followed with an advisory adopting the system for the emirate’s employees. At the same time, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has announced that all public and private schools will shift their schedules according to the new UAE government working week. Adopting a Monday to Friday system will benefit the country economically by aligning its work schedules to the rest of the world, a move that is particularly favorable to the banking and stock market sectors. On the other hand, the reduced work hours are also designed to improve the work-life balance of public sector employees, who now enjoy a 2.5-day weekend. The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has not made specific announcements for the private sector. Instead, it leaves it up to companies to “make their decision based on what they feel will improve their position”. This move is part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the nation retains its competitive edge in today’s changing business environment. It also highlights the nation’s commitment to ensure the high quality of life of its people. IFZA is dedicated to ensuring continuity for its community of global Partners and Licensees has released an advisory in line with the UAE Federal Government’s guidelines. Beginning January 2022 IFZA Office hours have now been 8:30 am – 5:30 pm from Monday through Friday. To support the company formation requirements of our Partners and Clients, a core operations team will also be available on Sundays.
